Clerk posts new election numbers
Update, 8:45 p.m. Nov. 9: Clerk Keri Hinton has posted updated election results to the county website. The update is labeled 5:53 p.m., but was not posted to the website until 8:40, although it went up on the Secretary of State's website at 7:30.
It shows Commissioner candidate Kit Johnston increasing his lead over Dayton Mayor Beth Wytoski, to 960 votes.
In Carlton, Mayor Linda Watkins retained her lead against former Mayor Brian Rake. In Dayton, city councilor Trina Marquez also retained her lead in the race for mayor, against David Wilson, although it shrank slightly. In Lafayette, Hilary Malcomson has a strong lead over Doreen VanTyne. In Newberg, William Rosacker has a strong lead over Mayor Rick Rogers. Marianne Thomson has won the race for Sheridan mayor, over Wendell Cunningham. Yvette Potter has won the race for Yamhill Mayor, over Olen Pairan.
See separate story for an update on Oregon Legislative District 24.
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Delays continue in the release of Yamhill County election results.
The next round of posted results for the Nov. 8 General Election will not be issued by the County Clerk until this evening, potentially.
Clerk Keri Hinton told News-Register the plan is to post next results by 6 p.m., Wednesday, though it could be later.
Hinton said Wednesday that no results would be posted at noon, though she had cited that possibility on Tuesday night after a lengthy delay in first reporting of results in the General Election.
In an email statement, Hinton said, “We understand that what voters experienced as far as posting was unusual last night. We have a brand new crew that is still learning the Hart system and while we had support from Hart it was still a slower process.”
Historically the first report is issued by the Clerk’s office between 8 and 8:15 p.m. on election night. Tuesday’s first posting was not until 9:30 p.m. Officially, a second posting was made at 10:06 p.m., but the only change was to remove the results of Newberg city council races, which were briefly posted by mistake. It was announced in October that a special election for the Newberg council seats will be Dec. 20, due to an error on the Nov. 8 ballot.
This election is the first one overseen by Hinton as interim clerk; on Tuesday’s ballot she was elected to the post by a wide margin over Cory Fribley.
Elections workers started processing ballots again late Wednesday afternoon.
In response to questions posed to her by the News-Register on Wednesday, Hinton made this statement via email:
“Voters need to understand that we appreciate their patience as we continue to work through all of the challenges that these last four months have presented. There were many moving parts involved in last night’s reporting and we were trying to do our best to meet the demands. There were more ballots brought in yesterday than in the presidential race of 2020 on Election Day. Our goal today is to focus all of our attention and energy on the ballots that are waiting to be processed and to get those included in the results.
“I am still reviewing the process and the programming that was done in advance to remove the City of Newberg races from the reporting. Our vendor is also looking at it and it appears that one of the programmed areas was what caused a hiccup in that process. We are diligently continuing to ensure that all of these moving parts are working together.”
News-Register emailed Hinton Wednesday morning with a variety of questions about delays and other issues raised about the Tuesday ballot reporting process. Hinton did not answer why it was that the Clerk’s office website’s results page repeatedly went offline, nor did she answer, “Are you concerned that (erroneous release of the Newberg city council numbers) might influence some voters’ decisions in the upcoming special election?”
Tuesday's ballot watch evening saw a twist at 9:30 p.m. Nov. 8 when the Clerk's office temporarily posted to its website the results to the Newberg City Council race. The figures were erroneously included in that first report from the Clerk's office.
It had been announced in October that, due to a ballot error, Newberg will have its election for city council on Dec. 20.
The first report on Nov. 8 ran at 9:30 and was posted by 9:40; a second report was issued at 10:06 p.m., identical except for removal of the invalid figures for the Newberg council election.
Current vote counts can be viewed here.
The Clerk's office previously posted a schedule of anticipated vote count updates.
Results issued Tuesday show Kit Johnston leading Beth Wytoski in the Yamhill County Commission race with 14,129 votes, 51.06 percent, to Wytoski's 13,550 votes, 48.9 percent.
In the race for McMinnville City Council, Ward 1, incumbent Zack Geary holds a 53 to 46 percent lead over George Humlie, 1,973 to 1,740.
Republican Lucetta Elmer holds a 45.5 to 54.5 lead over Democrat Victoria Ernst for state House District 24, a vote margin of 9,974 to 8,310. Additional stories linked on this page report results of various local races and ballot measures.
See preliminary election results from Yamhill County here, including links to latest vote counts and other election statistics. Results shown for U.S. House Dist. 6 from Yamhill County are added to vote counts from portions of Polk, Marion, Washington and Clackamas counties.
Voting results show Yamhill County voters favoring Christine Drazan for governor, and voting against three of four statewide ballot measures -- favoring only Measure 113, which would disqualify state lawmakers from reelection if they have 10 or more unexcused absences from legislative floor sessions.
The Oregon Secretary of State’s office track regional and statewide races on its website. Click here for updates on races such as the gubernatorial, Bureau of Labor and Industries, U.S. House Dist. 6, U.S. Senator and more.
In statewide and regional early results:
Tina Kotek has been declared winner of the race for governor, over Republican Christine Drazan, the Oregonian newspaper reported early Wednesday afternoon. Her 46-44 percent edge is expected to widen once full reporting is in from Democrat-dominated Multnomah County.
Kotek enjoyed a 1 percent lead over e Drazan for governor Tuesday night; voters re-elected U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden and U.S. Reps. Suzanne Bonamici, Cliff Bentz and Earl Blumenauer; Christina Stephenson has a 60-40 lead over Cheri Helt for Labor Commissioner; Democrat Val Hoyle leads Republican Alek Skarlatos for U.S. 4th District; Republican Lori Chavez-Deremer leads Jamie McLeod-Skinner for U.S. 5th District; and Democrat Andrea Salinas barely leads Republican Mike Erickson for U.S. 6th District.
Oregon’s two most controversial ballot measures are too close to call: Measure 111, ensuring affordable health care access, trails 50.6 to 49.3 percent; Measure 114, creating various new gun control regulations, is ahead 50.6 to 49.4 percent
Comments
BigfootLives
What is this? High number of ballots received on Tuesday…? It’s Election Day, what the hell? If you want to sit back and wag your finger at “election deniers” who would dare cast any doubt on this holy system we have in Oregon then step up and do your job, count the votes on election night like it has always happened. If the ballot counting machines cannot count yamhill counties ballots then throw them in the trash and count them all by hand! Election Day did not jump out from behind a Bush and surprise everyone.
And before someone says “we have always had results delayed”, you are right, we have had results updated past election night, but this is a pre-emptive strike. BS.
I’m thinking back a few weeks, I wonder why the county was named in the nation wide election lawsuit? Our elections need to be trusted and right now they are not by a majority of the citizens. One ballot, one day, in person, with ID. Count by hand.
Bulldog
Brian Vanbergen always had the first run results posted just shortly after 8 pm. Its now 9:17 and there's nothing. Clerk's office going the way of the rest of Yamhill County - falling apart.......
Angela Flood
As a person who went and observed the process previously, I can say with certainty Keri has turned this into a farce. She had results - system ready - of all the ballots already processed. There is no reason she should not have had something to release at 8:00. I do wonder if she is having technical inability issues - such as not being able to provide proofs of voters pamphlet filings, because she didn't know how to make a pdf of the files.
Even Clackamas, with all the excuses they have made up to now, have released results.
This whole situation is pitiful.
Rona
Must not be much of an IT department at the county any more.
tagup
Tough crowd…. Take a breath people… patience is a virtue.
BigfootLives
Tag, you have to read the room. It’s a real tough crowd. This is unacceptable. Look at the results schedule they have listed. One election tomorrow at noon and one at 5. And the the next on Thursday at 5. If this turns into a sh** show, it won’t happen again. This is too important.
tagup
accuracy is more important than speed.
Jean
Relax, we have her for another 4 years so she can figure out how to do her job. What could possibly go wrong? Her $70k mistake was easily forgotten by the voters.
BigfootLives
Tagup - Accuracy comes with the job, if that's a problem don't apply. Free, fair, and transparent elections is what we deserve and should expect. nothing less. Results will be released over the next couple of days. Sitting on the ballots while we go home and sleep it off because there were a lot to count is not good enough. I understand this home by 10, once a day update crap comes form the secretary of state and the corrupt legislature, but it has to end. This has been a clown show. Florida has 22 million people and had 99% of the vote counted and reported last night. How is it that Oregon cannot manage the 1.5 +/- million voters that turn out? The Oregon system is corrupt, it is not transparent, and it is open to and ripe with fraud.
Kotek is going to win this election and there will be calls for a hand count audit of the vote which is only right. Then watch the finger wagging and calling people anti democracy election deniers and the lawsuits to stop the audit. Then tell me it was a honest election.
madmacs
Bigfoot, despite your assertions of fraud or corruption there is 0% evidence of that being true. You will be labeled an election denier because you are making completely unfounded accusations in spite of all evidence being contrary to your assertions.
Angela Flood
Keri's campaign tagline - Experience - Integrity - Transparency
Her statement above is saying she failed to adequately educate herself on the universal software required to run an efficient election, and further failed to be able able to train staff to use it. She blames the staff.
She refuses to take any ownership of all of the errors she has made. She has created doubt in the process, and frustration for all invested parties.
Her errors are costing money. Her delays are creating confusion.
I would be embarrassed to be an employee under her direction.
Jean
"The Fonzarelli Method that I trained my staff to use on these voting machines usually works every time we have a kerfuffle."
BigfootLives
Madmacs. You totally make sense given the acting clerk and her team were overwhelmed when a fraction of the ballots that they mailed out were returned (total registered mailed out vs roughly half actual votes). They received a large portion of them on Election Day because people do not trust the vote by mail system. If they have the ballot 8 hours before they have to report results it it’s a lot harder to come up with the required extra votes needed. And while your clown world see no, hear no bubble is safe and secure it seems the majority of the voters in the county may have agreed with me.
Bizzyditchaz
Now it’s 5pm on Wednesday and we still don’t have official numbers.
How long has this “new system” been in place and we’re adequate practice runs performed prior to these elections yesterday?
How is this acceptable? It appears Hinton is in over her head.
Mac Runner
Yes, let's count the ballots by hand. That'll sure speed things up and make the whole system less prone to error and corruption. Smh.
Mac Runner
The issue is clearly that county elections lost a lot of key staff and who they have is not up to speed on the systems they are using and probably on some of the legal requirements. This is similar to the problems in Clackamas County but worse because at least Hall is an experienced Clerk and has experienced staff.
madmacs
bigfoot, there is zero evidence to back up you claims of voter fraud. Provide some or sit down and let the adults talk.
madmacs
Also, if you are claiming there is election fraud in Yamhill County look at who is winning in Yamhill County. By and large it is Republican candidates; so if there if fraud here it isn't fraud by the people you seem t think it is. Use. Some. Common. Sense.
Joel R
They can take their time, I'm not sure I really want to see the numbers anyway. As a conservative Republican it was a pretty disappointing night.
Watching the polls before the election, I really thought Drazan had a chance. I'm starting to think accurate political polling is a relic of the past.
Bleepbloop
Hey Joel, I am pretty happy with the results, but I think you should listen to todays episode of The Daily. They really go in depth about how the polling worked this year. The good and bad and why. Pretty fascinating and no political lean to it.
Angela Flood
Based on the numbers shown in the precinct participation report, Lafayette has more than 1200 votes accepted and not processed yet. That's a greater number than the votes actually counted for the precinct. As ballots are continuing to be checked in, that number will only go up. If it is this way for other towns here, it could change some things.
sbagwell
Joel R:
Accurate polling may, indeed, be a relic of the past. The problem is, for polling to be accurate requires a representative sample of the same age, ethnicity, gender and party affiliation composition as the electorate as a whole, not to mention other relevant factors, such as home ownership and urban, suburban or rural setting.
In this era of cellphones, call screening, scam call avoidance and cold caller hostility, it's hard to get a sample assembled at all, let alone one that is exquisitely balanced.
You can't get the cell phone numbers you need. You can't find enough landliners, and reliance solely on them will skew your results anyway.
You can't tell actual location by area code or any other phone number component. Few people will pick up, and most of those will hang up when you mention doing a survey.
It used to be relatively easy to get a representative sample, thus assuring a relatively high degree of accuracy. These days, it highly, highly problematical.
The five-thirty-eight approach, relying on aggregates of vast numbers of different polls by different outfits, probably produces the best results. But garbage in, garbage out remains an almost unavoidable challenge.
Steve